Submarine-destroyer.



G. W. KEiSTER.

SUBMARINE DESTRUVER.

APPLICATION. FILED APR. 26. 1917.

Patentefl Nov. 27, 191?.

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$11-02 1/1 Cot G. W. HE l 3T ER H- S LEM GEORGE W. KEI$TER, QF KENT, ILLINOIS.

SUBMARINE-DESTROYER.

il,24l7,963.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

Application filed. April 26, 1917. Serial No. 164,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Knrsrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kent, in the county of Stephenson, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Submarine-Destroyer; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a device for torpedoing and destroying submerged objects such as submarines, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby a submarine even though it may be submerged to a considerable depth can be located from a vessel directly above the same and a torpedo projected with accuracy in the direction of the submarine.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device for destroying submarines which can be mounted without difliculty or great expense upon any small vessel of a sufficient size to carry a torpedo tube, which can be controlled by a single operator, and which will make it easy to locate a submerged submarine and project a torpedo vertically downward for the destruction of the submarine whole the vessel is directly above the same.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the hull of a vessel showing a submarine locating device constructed in accordance with the invention applied to the vessel, the section being taken on the line mm of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through a portion of the hull of the vessel, showing the submarine locating means on one side thereof in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the mirrors and the adjusting means therefor.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the reference letter A designates the hull of a vessel, portions only of which are shown. At a convenient point in the length of the vessel a vertically disposed torpedo tube 1 is arranged so that a torpedo can be quickly released and projected vertically downward for the destruction of any object such as a submarine which may be submerged below the vessel. Immediately to the rear of the torpedo tube 1 a pair of transparent plates 2 are inserted in the bottom of the hull A, one of the said plates being located on each side of the keel a. These plates are all of a sufficient thickness to withstand the pressure of the water, and all of a suflicient size to enable the rays from searchlights to be projected downwardly through the water for the purpose of rendering visible submerged objects under the boat. Amirror3is arranged above each of the transparent plates 2, being provided at the back thereof with a socket t which engages a ball 5 at the end of a bracket 6 to provide an adjustable mounting for the mirror. Conventional searchlights 7 are arranged upon opposite sides of the hull A under the mirrors 3, said searchlights being mounted to project light diagonally upward and toward the respective mirrors 3 on opposite sides of the vessel. The searchlights 7 may be slightly offset from each other, so that the rays of light projected from the two searchlights will not intersect and interfere with each other, and the mirrors 3 serve to throw the rays of light downwardly through the respective transparent plates 2 fitted in the bottom of the hull 1, thereby enabling objects under the vessel to be seen for as great a distance as the light rays penetrate the water. A submerged submarine would ordinarily be easily located by these downwardly projected rays of light, and a torpedo discharged vertically downwardly at a time when the vessel is directly over the submarine would result in a speedy destruction of the submarine.

A seat 8 for the operator is shown as arranged just back of the transparent plates 2, and levers 9 are provided for manipulating the mirrors to position them in a proper manner for reflecting the light in the desired direction. The upper ends of the levers 9 have an elbow formation, being bent later- -ally at 9 so as to project over the mirrors 3.

be obvious that by manipulating the levers the mirrors can be tilted in any desired direction and properly positioned to reflect the rays of light from the search-lights 7 in the most effective manner. The looped handies 13 at the lower ends of the levers 9 can be conveniently grasped by an operator sitting upon the seat 8, and when it is discovered by means of the searchlights that the vessel is directly over a submerged submarine a torpedo Will be discharged vertically downward through the torpedo tube 1.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A submarine destroyer including a boat having a transparent plate in the bottom thereof, means for projecting light downwardly through the transparent plate to locate an object beneath the surface of the water, and a torpedo tube. arranged Within the boat and adjacent the said transparent plate so as to be operable by the observer of an object to be torpedoed without the necessity of moving from the point of observation through the transparent plate.

2. A submarine destroyer including a boat having a transparent plate in the bottom thereof, means for projecting a beam of light through said transparent plate to locate an object beneath the surface of the water, said means being operable by the observer looking through the transparent plate without moving from his point of observation, and a torpedo tube arranged within the boat and adjacent the transparent plate so as to be also operable by the observer immediately an object to be torpedoed is located.

3. A submarine destroyer including a boat having a transparent plate in the bottom thereof, a mirror arranged over the transparent plate, a supporting bracket connected to the mirror by a universal joint, a lever mounted upon the bracket and operatively connected to the mirror for adjusting the same, and a Searchlight arranged under the mirror and mounted to throw a beam of light upon the mirror which reflects the light downwardly through the transparent plate for locating an object beneath the surface of the water.

4. A submarine destroyer including a boat having a transparent plate in the bottom thereof, a mirror arranged over the transparent plate, a supporting bracket from which the mirror is suspended, a universal parent plate for locating an object beneath the surface of the water.

5. A submarine destroyer including a boat, a pair of transparent plates fitted in the bottom of the hull and upon opposite sides of the keel, a mirror arrangedover each of the transparent plates, supporting brackets for the mirrors, universal joints between the mirrors and the supporting brackets, levers mounted upon the supporting brackets, arms radiating from the ends of the levers and yieldably connected to the mirrors so that the mirrors can be moved by manipulating the levers, and searchlights mounted to throw beams of light upon the respective mirrors which reflect the light downwardly through the corresponding transparent plates to locate an object beneath the surface of the water.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE XV. KEISTER.

\Vitncsses B. S. KEIsTnR, MATHEW EIsLnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ?atents. Washington, I). P. 

